Dawn and Dusk
by Aozora.M
Summary: On a mission to save an emperor's life, Tenten and Kira become stranded and lost in a foreign land, soon finding themselves thrown into a hurricane of trouble. What's more, now they're fugitives? "Oh, son of a—" "Shut it, you."
1. A Party to Remember

I couldn't get rid of the tickly feeling in my gut. Something kept telling me today would be the day something great would happen. Not a single cloud loomed in the sky, nor were there any complaints of any sort. Today was simply peaceful. Finally, I'd get the break I longed for.

Or so I thought.

"Oi, Kira!"

 _Kami, have mercy on me_. "What!?" I sat up on my bed and tied my raven locks into a high ponytail. I blew my bangs out of my face, which proved useless considering they were long and just below my eyes. Suddenly, my best friend, Tenten, barged into the room out of breath. "What?"

"Hokage-sama needs us. ASAP!" She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me all the way to the Hokage's office.

xoXoXox

"Hah!? You want _me_ to do _that_ for _you_!?" I couldn't believe my ears. After all the shit I had done for her—seduce scumbags, fight psychos, put my life on the line for the sake of a mission—she had the nerve to ask me to...to...

"Oh, c'mon, Kira. You make this sound so bad," Tenten shrugged and then glared at me as if I had offended her or something. I glared right back and snarled in repulsion.

"You're not the one doing the job! You're only accompanying me to make sure I go through with it! Besides, why does it have to be me!?" I stomped my foot and caused a crack to appear on the wooden floor.

"You'll see soon. And it's just a freaking celebration! All you have to do is show up, act courteous, and—!"

"And wear a fucking dress! A _dress_! Do you know how defaming that is!? My badass reputation will go down the drain! After all these years I've worked hard to earn it, I can't possibly let it go to shreds because of one stupid mission—Agh!" I coughed as Tenten strung her arm over my shoulder and held me in a chokehold. For a shinobi, she had one hell of a grip that could rival Tsunade's.

"We'll go, Hokage-sama. You can count on us!" chirped the brunette as she exited the room, still holding me in her deathly grip. Tsunade nodded and quirked a brow at my blue face as Tenten shut the door. "Let's go!"

Oh boy.

xoXoXox

"Sorry about earlier! I really didn't mean it, Kira! I'm super, duper, _really_ sorr—!"

"For the last time, I said it's okay, Ten!" I sighed into the salty, ocean air. After our discussion with Tsunade, we immediately set off on our expedition and found ourselves across the ocean. Sure, my neck still hurt a little, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. "Anyway, what exactly do I have to do?"

Tenten's calm expression turned solemn. She coughed into her hand before pulling out a scroll from her white sleeve. She began, "Well, to be completely honest, our mission isn't entirely all that light-hearted."

She looked over her shoulder and made sure no one was nearby. _This mission must be classified_. I also scanned the deck and then went to lean against the ship's walls. Tenten did the same and finally opened the scroll.

"The reason Hokage-sama needed you to do this mission was because you're the best of the best when it comes to infiltration."

"Infiltration? Why would Tsunade need me to infiltrate..."

Tenten pointed at a map on the scroll that covered a very large piece of land. I could see several kingdoms listed, one of them being the Kouka Kingdom—the place of interest. She continued, "We've received notice from an anonymous source that someone is planning to kill the emperor. It seems pretty bad. They paid us to protect the emperor and even pleaded that we stay on alert at all times."

My eyes widened quite a fraction.

"Kira, although we do not know if this information is valid, we do know that an emperor's life being threatened should not be taken lightly. So, with these facts seeded into your head, Hokage-sama would like you to—no, she _needs_ you to befriend as many people at that party as you can. After that, you and I will search for any possible threats. I will keep guard at Emperor II's room."

I nodded and replayed the information in my head. Basically, the reason Tsunade asked Tenten to come was because she can make badass traps. And me because I can infiltrate easily. I need to befriend the people so that I'm not suspicious and I can't give myself away. _Hm... Well, got it_.

I looked over my shoulder at the sunset. The water reflected orange and yellow hues at my face and glistened softly as the ship swayed gently against its surface. Once more, I sighed and faced Tenten with a smirk.

"To be honest, I don't hate this mission all that much anymore."

Just as Tenten opened her mouth to scold me, a huge explosion came from the rear of the ship. The whole body swayed uncontrollably and caused several men to fall off of the deck. The sun had set and now the sky was illuminated into reds and yellows that came from below the smoke. Many men shouted orders and ran around hecticly as they tried their best to contain the fire. Tenten and I ran to the other side of the boat and searched for the cause of the explosion, and several miles away rested a ship with canons portruding out of its sides. From what we could see, they weren't aiming at the ship.

They were aiming at us.

How did we know? Well... They shot a second time, this time aiming directly at Tenten and I. Now, it could be sheer coincidence that we were in the way. However, they shouted, "Remember, no matter how much it takes, kill the bitches at all costs!"

The canon sounded off and on went the ball of destruction, heading for us. Tenten quickly pulled out a scroll and summoned her best weapon. Well, in my opinion.

"Sōgu: Kyokudai Tekkyū!" Tenten jumped off of the boat and aimed her gigantic iron ball at the oncoming bomb. "Kira, be ready for the leftover impact!"

"Roger!" Immediately, I flung as many men as I could off the ship. They were better off taking shelter in the water instead of taking damage on the ship. Tenten swung her arm and within seconds, a huge blast of air flew in all directions with fire spewing in right after it. I flew off the ship and crashed into the water, not before having the air slapped out of my lungs. I inhaled and felt my lungs burning.

xoXoXox

"...a...ira...Kira!"

I coughed water out of my mouth and stood abruptly. Tenten was covered in scratches and was scathed severely. Her buns were loose and her white long sleeve shirt was burnt and missing a sleeve.

"Tenten! Where's my bag!? You need to be tended to!"

"I'm fine," She laughed charismatically. She sat beside me and frowned as she looked me over. "Besides, have you taken a look at yourself?"

I looked down at myself and noticed... I was covered in burns as well. I sighed and simply rubbed water on them.

"Seriously though, where's my bag?" I asked, pouting childishly. Tenten giggled once more and handed me my bag which she hid behind her back. I rummaged through it and pulled out a salve. I rubbed it onto her arm and wrapped it up. Lastly, I rubbed some on her face before putting everything away.

"Well, we better head out. The celebration's in..." Tenten fell silent.

"Ten? What's wrong?" Her face was ghastly and she was trembling. "Tenten, what is it? You're scaring me."

"Agh! No! Nonononononononono!" She flew up and began dragging me by the arm in a random direction. "The celebration's today!"

"Eh!? But I thought it was in 10 days time!?"

"I only just woke up before you did! Who knows how long we've been out. From what my calendar is telling me, it's today! Let's go!"

And so off we went.

After an hour, we arrived at the kingdom. Tenten swiftly headed to a dress shop, got a fancy white robe, went next-door to the hair parlor, and got my hair done. Tenten was no joke when it came to punctuality. She carried me to Hiryuu Castle ( _why? I don't know_ ) and darted off to get a head start on getting to know the land. I pulled out the letter of invitation from my sleeve— _notice how our sleeves always magically happen to hold our stuff for us? Nice_ —and went to the main entrance where several guards awaited. They were hasty to let me in, even after showing them my invitation, but allowed me to come in when a man swooped in and saved me. Tch.

I scowled at his smile. Something about him seemed so fake. I reluctantly pushed that thought away and smiled at him, remembering the importance of my mission and my actions. I needed to stay alert and make allies. The man before me had light skin, a feminine face, and dark blonde hair that framed his face with wavy-ish, long bangs. His sea green eyes were warm, although I couldn't help but get chills by looking at them. _Nothing warm about that_.

"Sorry if the guards gave you a hard time back there. I'm Soo-Won, what's your name?" He smiled warmly and walked slowly alongside me. I bit back a scowl and forced a smile on my face.

"I'm Kira. Nice to meet you. Also, thank you for helping me back there. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't let me in," _Not_. I smiled as warmly as I could and made sure to fold my arms in front of my stomach. Tenten said it supposedly made me seem more feminine. Don't get how. I noticed... his eyes weren't looking at my face. And his face looked a little red. "Um... Soo-Won-san, are you okay?"

"A-Ah, yes! Sorry!" He looked up to the right and fidgeted with his bangs. I looked down at my chest and stomach. There was nothing wrong with them. I sighed profusedly. _Men are so confusing_. After a while of walking in silence, he cleared his throat and with a serious expression asked, "So... please don't take this the wrong way, but how were you invited to this celebration?"

I internally smirked. The anonymous client of ours had even provided an alias for us. _Well, me_.

"My father is a farmer who grows crops grown specifically for the castle people. My father and Emperor II are rather close, surprisingly. My father is sick so he sent me in his stead."

"Who is your father?" Once again, internal smirk.

"My father is Ryu Gi. He is a well respected farmer, might I add." To add emphasis on my innocence, I giggled and looked up at him with the most purity I could conjure. He paused slightly and smiled soon after.

"Well then, I'll be seeing you, Ryu Kira," He waved goodbye and left down the long hall we had been walking in as I turned the corner to enter a different hall. For a split-second, I nearly showed my confusion but realized that I had told him my family name was Ryu. _Gotta be better than that, Kira._ I gently slapped my cheeks and entered a huge dining hall where many people were gathered.

 _Let's do this_.

I entered the room and swiftly made my way to the dining table where many assortments of delicacies awaited me. The delicious pastries sat on the table, glistening brightly as if to taunt me. I withheld my urge to devour them as a lady approached me. She walked with such elegance and appeared to be in her early twenties. She was almost like a female Soo-Won, only her eyes were brown. A smile was plastered on her porcelain face, not once faltering. _Finally, someone with a genuine smile._

"Hello, I don't think I've ever seen you before. I'm Yun-Ho! What's your name?" She gazed at me with such innocence that she reminded me of a...

"Chikku..." _Fuck. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said that!_ I immediately began flailing my arms around like an apologetic walrus on drugs. "I-I didn't mean to say that! I'm very sorry! Please do not take offense to what I said!"

I bowed and clenched my teeth. Just how stupid could I be!? I just insulted an obviously important figure! Now the mission would go to shreds because of me. I waited for her to begin a rant on how immature I was being or for her to scream in horror as if I'd cursed her entire family. I could sense her arm extending towards me. _Here comes the much awaited slap._ I felt her hand grab my shoulder gently and lift me up.

"There's no need to be sorry! I actually like the nickname," She giggled and beared one of the gentlest smiles I had ever seen in my entire lifetime. This woman... She was much too precious. "Let's be friends...?"

I smiled back at her and answered, "Kira. Ryu Kira."

"That's a lovely name!"

"Not at all. Your name is much more lovely than mine..." Several men parted way as a tall dark-skinned man made his way over. His eyes were golden and his brown hair was tied into a ponytail. He was rather toned and had a tough face, the kind a leader has. You could practically feel the dominance radiating off of him. Almost like a certain brooding Uchiha I knew. Lord knows how much I hated him. The guy heading towards us almost resembled him. It wasn't hard for me to see that we wouldn't get along. When the man came into reach, he extended an arm towards Yun-Ho. _He's trying to get at her!_ Me, being my overprotective self, immediately went to stand between the two until—

"Ah! Geun-Tae, my dear husband!"

—I found out that he was her husband.

The guy, apparently named Geun-Tae, patted her head and then turned his attention to me. _Straight face, Kira, c'mon! Don't snarl or glare. Smile and bow_. I managed to conjure a smile onto my face and bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Geun-Tae-san."

On a scale of "uh-oh" to "what have you done", I had apparently fucked up. The surrounding people gasped and began taking small steps back, all the while murmuring about how disrespectful I had been. I felt sweat begin to form on my palms as I deliberately tried to figure out what I had done. As far as I knew, I had been completely respectful... or at least I'd like to believe I was. Had they read through me? No, that couldn't be. My smile, albeit forced, had always been fullproof. Then why? _Or maybe I used the wrong honorific? Hm... no._ That couldn't be it.

Then, that's when I heard my answer.

"How dare she call a General by something less of -sama?" _General? Sama? Fuck! I did use the wrong honorific!_ Horror was etched onto my face as I faced Yun-Ho. Once more, I began bowing like my walrus-self.

"I am so sorry! Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to show disrespect! I am not very caught up with information so I didn't know, but that should be no excuseIamsosorry!" At the end of my rant, Yun-Ho giggled uncontrollably and even Geun-Tae bellowed with laughter. In my ears, their laughs sounded sinister. They were probably thinking of ways to torture me.

"You're really funny, Kira! Tell me, are you a foreigner?" Yun-Ho chirped. I nodded and explained my situation (not the real one, mind you) and added in that I was out of the kingdom, thus my informal diction. "I see. There's no need to refer to us with honorifics! We're friends! It's okay!"

Geun-Tae looked uninterested most of the time, however he did smirk at me once. That was the most equivalent of a smile that I'd be getting from him, so I was glad. After Yun-Ho's announcement, more people approached me and even offered to have tea with me someday. Yes, the odds were definitely in my favor.

Nature's call rung and so I went out to look for a restroom. This place seemed to be rather behind on technology. I mean, they didn't have any lights or swinging doors. Pretty shocking. I walked down the hall and turned the corner, to which a huge garden came into view. It was marvelous; it was filled with roses, hydrangeas, and a huge tree sat in the middle of a little pond. Lillies floated in the water and little birdies ate from bird feeders on the tree. It was like a dream—

"Ah, Kira-chan, I see we meet again. Isn't the garden lovely?" I jumped in surprise at having been caught while vulnerable and turned to the perpetrator. Soo-Won stood a distance away with two other people. One was a short female with long red hair and the other was a tall man with messy black hair and blue eyes. _That's strange. He looks almost like me._

"Soo-Won, who's that?" The young redhead asked, clutching onto his sleeve. Her haired adorned a pretty flower hairpin that made her look all the more innocent. _Well, that's my cue._

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryu Kira," I bowed and smiled genuinely at the young girl. For some unnatural reason, I just couldn't be rude to her.

"Oh, I see," I quietly waited for her to introduce herself, however she simply smiled. _Well, such manners!_ The man next to her smirked and introduced himself as well.

"Son Hak. Nice to meet you."

I nodded and turned to the girl. Perhaps she'd introduce herself now. She raised a brow at me and looked to Soo-Won for help.

"Uhm... not trying to be rude or anything, but aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

The three looked to be in a state of shock. I quirked my head to the side while rocking on my heels back and forth. Soo-Won finally regained his composure and went to talk.

"Have you been living under a rock or something!?" However, Hak beat him to it. "This is Yona-hime, you idiot!"

I lunged at him to rip his throat out for calling me an idiot, but froze as I let his words sink in. _She... she's the princess..._

"Oh my gosh, I am such a fucking idiot! I am _so_ sorry—!"

"You better be."

"You shut up! I am sincerely sorry, Yona-hime. I was out of the kingdom for as long as I can remember so I am not familiar with much of what's going on. My father was too sick to attend your celebration and so I came in his stead. Once again, I'm very sorry for my actions and my colorful words," Kami, I was tired of bowing and apologizing. She smiled and hummed in approval as Soo-Won patted her head. _How sweet._ Blegh.

The three went elsewhere and I went back to the dining hall without my potty break. The celebration ended and I left to the Inn where Tenten had left our things. After changing out of my fancy robes and into my comfortable ninja clothes, I headed back to the castle.

xoXoXox

"So... any luck?" I hand-signaled over to Tenten who answered with a shake of her head. Abruptly, we saw Soo-Won walking down the hall and enter Emperor II's room. Tenten nearly made her trap go off, however I told her he was friendly. Tenten was still wary and decided to stay on her toes. We waited several minutes before Yona came bouncing over. Just as the small girl took hold of the sliding door, the sound of a sword unsheathing came to our ears. In a split second, we ran past her and pushed the culprit to the ground.

"What're you doing!?" The Princess shouted as she entered the room in hysterics. Emperor II was shocked but handled the situation rather calmly.

"Who are you two?" Tenten, being the one who wasn't grabbing Soo-Won down, got down on one knee respectfully and answered.

"Sorry, but I cannot disclose that. We are simply bere to save you. Please excuse our intrusion. We mean you no harm."

The emperor smiled and offered a warm hand to Tenten. Yona was still in bewilderment that Soo-Won had been the culprit but managed a weak smile.

"You're very kind," _**STAB!**_ "Emperor II."

My eyes watched in astonishment as he fell to the ground with a kunai, holding a tag, inserted in his chest. My eyes immediately flew to my comrade who simply smiled sadistically. Beside her, an explosion enveloped the room in a flash of white as red covered the room and everyone in it. Chunks of, dare I say it, human flesh rained down on us, sprinkling red.

No one moved.

I couldn't think properly. This was my best friend and loyal comrade. She wouldn't do this. She couldn't do this. Not her.

Yona's scream filled the quiet room.

"Tenten... What... What have you done!?" I shouted as I ran at her and pushed her away. _No. No! This can't be her! Is has to be... Wait a second. It can't be, can it?_

I strolled over to the laughing Tenten at my feet. She looked up at me with clouded eyes, smirking at my horrified expression. Tenten's were never like that. They were always shining radiantly and spoke a thousand words in just one glance. These... They spoke nothing. _Perhaps_...

"Kai!" A poof went off and before me lay a ninja from the Hidden Rain Village.

"Guess we've been found out, huh?" I heard a voice speak up from right behind me. _Fuck!_ On instinct, I aimed a kunai at the culprit behind me, but soon felt an excruciating pain in my stomach. I could feel a wet, warm liquid coming out of where the sword had once been. "Sorry it had to be this way, Kira."

"Fuck you..."

 _Soo-Won._


	2. Afterparty

"...ra...Kira!"

I jolted awake as a pair of arms hoisted me up and carried me carefully. My lids were heavy and my ears could barely register any sound. Finally, I managed to open one eye and took in the sight of the man from before. I attempted to turn my head away, however my actions were in vain. My body wasn't listening to me anymore. Everything felt numb and everything was going dark again. The last thing I remembered seeing was a mix of brown and red.

xoXoXox

I opened my eyes once more, this time with more ease, and sat up. I was sitting on the forest floor, still a little dazed. The sun was just barely rising up over the sky, illuminating it in bright reds and soothing oranges. The yellow crept up over the clouds and shined daintily down on me in small rays. It was truly marvelous. Too bad I got to see it alone. _It'd be much better if... if Tenten..._

"Kira!" Speaking of the devil, Tenten dropped whatever was in her hands and came running at me at indescribable speeds. On contact, she began her check-up.

"Are you alright? Does anything hurt? Can you see how many fingers I'm holding? Wait, do you even recognize me? Do you even remember yourself? Oh my gosh, what if you have amnesia? What's your name? Do you remember—?"

"Tenten, I'm fine. The real question here is are you fine? I mean, what happened? Why were those Rain ninjas there and where were you?"

Tenten huffed and explained. "Those damn ninjas got me while I was posted outside of the emperor's room. It was still light outside by then. They simply tied me up and left me in a room full of their kind. Who knows how long I was in there. Coincidentally, I broke free of the ropes when some guy burst into the room with you in his hands. Of course, we beat those bastards to a pulp and ran away," she frowned and continued, "...I heard about Emperor II. It's all my fault—"

"Tenten, don't even start. As the one who was there when it occurred, it is ultimately my fault. Because you were down, it was up to me to protect him... and I failed us both. If Tsunade chooses to punish one of us, it'll be me."

"But—!"

"So do you guys plan on telling me who the heck you guys are?" The man whom I knew as Hak asked, pointing his sword thingy at us.

"Like I said, we're not your enemies! Besides, you saved us so at least allow us to repay you or something," Tenten answered, searching for some money in her bag. When she got our bags throughout us running away from a kingdom as fugitives, I will never know. She pulled out a bag of candies and sweatdropped. "Um... does this count as repayment?"

"Tch! Just leave! I don't have time to watch over you guys. I need to protect the—" He stopped midsentence. "Wait a second, they know that Yona is the princess. If they go back or get caught, they might give out some information as to where we're headed. At least the brunette one will. She's the one who was awake and heard my plans. I can't let them leave," he thought. His expression became determined.

"We won't sell you two out, if that's what you're thinking." That was apparently not what he wanted to hear 'cause next thing I knew, he had his sword just a small bit away from my neck. One sudden move and my throat would have a hole through it.

"Hey, let's be rational here. We need you and you need us—"

"Who says I need you?" Hak retorted, swinging his sword at Tenten.

"Oh, please. Drop the act already. Hak, I know you need us. Yona-hime is in no condition to travel, depressed and injured as she is. Tenten and I can show her a few tricks and help protect her. If we stay, you'll be able to keep an eye on us; make sure we don't 'tattle'. Besides, she needs some female support." We all stood still as he contemplated my words. After what seemed like ages, he lowered his sword and cleared his throat.

"For the record, I didn't plan on letting you guys go. Also, how exactly do you plan on protecting her if you couldn't..." he looked over his shoulder at the dazed princess, "if you couldn't even protect her father?"

That was a direct hit to the ego.

Tenten flinched and glanced over in my direction. I lowered my gaze, clenching my fists. He had a point. In all honesty, this was the biggest fuck-up of all my missions. This was the first time I had failed to save a life.

 _The first time._

I let that sink in as I faced Hak. Didn't matter if that was the first time I failed. That didn't mean it wouldn't happen again. All lives, even if one, mattered. Just because I had saved many, excluding this one, didn't make it any better. I would have to live with the guilt for the rest of my time. Her life had half the chance at living as well as dying in my hands. However...

"I know I failed to execute my duties properly. I will take responsibility for my failure and let it eat away at me for as long as I live. However, I see this as my chance to repay Emperor II for my mistake. Because I couldn't save him, the least I could do is save his daughter. Only difference is... I won't fail this time. I will protect her, even if it costs me my own life."

It was silent. The only sound filling our ears were the sounds of the trees swaying and the birds chirping.

"...It's the same for me. Only, I'm not going to be as cryptic about it as Kira. So, if you'll have me, it's nice to meet you. I'm Tenten." She bowed and stood straight, smiling charismatically.

"Right, although I already know you guys, the name's Kira. Nice to meet you."

Yona nodded weakly with a dull look in her eyes. That face... It resembled that of Naruto's, back when he was all alone in the academy, sitting on that swing. I frowned. Shaking my head, I cleared that thought from my mind.

We began walking at Hak's command and stood close to one another with Hak and I takimg the rear. This trip was definitely going swell. It was day two of being in a foreign kingdom, yet day one of being fugitives. Sigh. I scratched my neck, even coughed a little, to give the guy a hint to stop staring at me. Were all guys this oblivious?

"If you want to ask questions, do so. No point in staring me down." Hak visibly stiffened, although barely. I could feel the hate and distrust radiating off of him in waves. _Lovely_.

"I want to know more about you two and your connection to Emperor II," he finally answered, looking down at me through the corners of his eyes. _It's no fair that he's so freakishly tall._

"Well, guess I'll cut to the chase. Ten and I are specially trained in things like this. Protecting people, securing things, fighting. It's what we do. But believe me, we mean you no harm. We're human, too. I wouldn't dream of hurting Yona-chan. She's so pure and innocent. She's seen too much for her age. I don't want her to go through any more of that."

"You're not any older than her, yet you speak as if you've seen much."

"Yes, well, so do you," I retorted as matter-of-factly. I wasn't trying to sound accusing, however that was how he took it.

He scoffed and replied, "You still haven't answered my other question."

"Right. Not that we were acquainted with Emperor II or anything, but we received info on something in relation to him and were sent here to help. We could've declined, but we didn't. I don't see the difference in us coming if the outcome was the same as the latter." Failure swept in and took me by the hand to Depressionville. I wasn't ever going to forgive myself for this.

"Calm down, worry-wart. I don't need another depressed child."

I scoffed and continued our walk in silence. After several hours of walking, we stopped to take a break when Tenten spotted a river nearby. Hak took a drink from it before heading behind some bushes to let the females bathe.

"It's cold," Yona commented frowning to herself. Tenten smiled warmly and extended and arm out towards her.

"You'll get used to it soon. By the way, can't we have some privacy here!?" Tenten exclaimed, glaring daggers at the back of Hak's head.

Hak retorted, "I'm not risking anything. I have to stay close to Yona-hime at all times."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, aren't you planning on bathing as well?" I asked, lazily slumping into the cold water.

"Well, if you'll have me." He stood but before he could turn his head, Tenten began an assault of rocks.

"Don't you dare look, you pervert!"

"Hey, she's the one that invited me." Hak pointed at me with his back still turned.

"Yeah. I meant after we were done, you sicko."

Yona shrieked behind us and flew out of the water abruptly. We halted our bickering and turned to face the redheaded princess whom was covered in leeches. Hak flew out from behind the bushes and began peeling off the blood suckers, completely ignoring our presences. Once he was finished, he huffed to himself and turned to face us.

"Oh no you don't!" A rock hit Hak square in the face, causing him to close his eyes. Tenten tactically took this chance to get out of the water and slip into her clothes. I sighed and followed suit as Tenten covered up Yona, arguing with Hak all the while. "How dare you touch an unclothed child, you rotten perversed man!?"

"Oh, shut up and get away from her! It's not like you tried to do anything to help!"

Meanwhile the two kept at it, I walked Yona to the campfire by where Hak had once been. She obediently sat and stared blankly at the fire. I stroked her head a few times in consolation before fetching Tenten and Hak.

"Would the two of you just shut up and listen?"

"Hah!?" the two shouted in unison, staring at me incredulously.

"You two need to shut it. You'll atract wild animals or something," I explained.

"Funny, I don't recall you being the boss of me," Hak challenged, towering over me.

"Funny, I don't recall ever giving a fuck," I replied, hands on my hips and a smirk on my lips. _Take that, giant._ The both of us glowered at each other, puffing our chests out to show our dominance.

"Guys..."

We continued our duel and ignored Tenten, getting in each other's faces in hopes of the other backing down.

"Hey guys!"

Once again, we ignored her and continued glaring at one another with sparks flying from our eyes. We were forehead to forehead when we began shouting profanities at each other and wrestling with our arms.

"Listen to me, you idiots!"

"What!?" we shouted, facing Tenten with our cheeks touching each other.

"Yona's missing!"

xoXoXox

 **Please drop some reviews! :)**


	3. Cliffhanger!

**Huge thanks to my first follower Savy54! You're the best!**

xoXoXox

"How the heck did you lose sight of her!?"

"Don't blame this on us!"

"Tenten, he's not blaming us. Besides, it's equally all our faults for having not paid attention." The three of us continued running down a path of broken branches and crumbled leaves. _She must've been searching for something, considering the wide area she trampled on. Judging from her chakra signature, she's not too far. And she's alone. Why would she stroll off on her own? She should be fully aware that she is a fugitive now. So why?_

"Oi, Hak, Tenten. How about I go and get her while you wait?" I suggested, pulling on each of their sleeves. The two turned to face me with looks of incredulity.

"What're you talking about? I'm not leaving Yona-hime in your untrusting hands," Hak declined and took another step before I pulled him back once more. "Let go!"

With a shove, he continued running and left us behind. I was in disbelief. _How dare he shove a lady!?_

"Urgh! I was only trying to get her here faster! Jeez, he's so slow! By the time he gets to her, she'll probably be hanging off a cliffside!" I punched the closest tree to me, denting its surface. I'd pulverize the tree if it weren't for the fact that I had to conceal my strength. Tenten sighed aloud and reclined against me.

"Just shows how much he's determined to keep her safe himself, huh?" I nodded with a pout. Tenten chuckled before dragging me back to the campsite.

We waited for about 20 minutes, lounging around, when Hak finally returned with Yona. The sun was setting and shined down on the sweaty approaching duo. Yona was dazed and was pale in the face.

"You idiot. You shouldn't be wandering along a cliffside. Imagine if I hadn't gotten there in time," Hak scolded, sitting on the ground beside Yona. I gave Tenten the look. She giggled to herself, catching Hak's attention.

"Did you two plan this? Tch, I should've known."

"Excuse m— Hey!" Within seconds, he was in front of Tenten and I, swinging his sword down at us. We flew to opposite sides and managed one look at each other before he swung his sword again, destroying the trees that stood in its path.

"Don't think you can escape me just because there's two of you! My Hsu Quandao can take down many enemies at once with a single strike."

"Well, thanks for telling us, idiot." He swung his sword at me, obviously disliking my comment. "He swings that thing around as if it weighs nothing. Tch! So much for using that to my advantage." Aiming a strike at my chest, I shot my arm out and grabbed onto the staff part and flew above him. Without missing a beat, the pointed tip followed after me. Luckily for me, Tenten kicked his palm and sent the sword flying out of his hands. I landed on the ground and sighed in relief, soon backflipping to dodge a kick to the face. He then swung Tenten's feet below her and ran for his sword. "Shit!"

"H-Hak, stop! Please!" We all froze. That was the first time in what seemed to be ages that we heard Yona-hime speak with an ounce of emotion. "I-It's not their faults that I left. I... I wanted to look for my hairpin. It meant a lot to me... even if it was given to me by... by..." The small princess piped down and kept her eyes focused on the ground.

Hak turned away from his sword and began striding over to Yona at a slow pace. His face was shadowed and his fists were clenched at his sides. _Is he going to hit her!?_ I darted for him and froze when he opened his palms to reveal a flower hairpin. Yona's lifeless violet eyes widened at the sight and soon after they began to water.

"Earlier, I picked it up when you dropped it somewhere along the path." He turned his head away from her, still holding the pin in his outstretched hands.

"...Uuuuuuuuuuuuwwwww...!" His head spun back to face her. Her eyes seemed to have life in them once more and were glistening from the tears. "Waaaaaahhhh!" She jumped into his arms and released a horror filled cry that resonated through the air. Hak was astonished but soon pulled her into an embrace, stroking her hair and resting his chin on her head.

Ten and I stood aside, watching the two with what could only be identified as... well, jealousy. For as long as we knew, we'd never been stroked and soothed like that. We'd always been alone in the world, that is, until we found each other. Since then, Ten and I stayed besties and always kept each other company. However, nothing could fill that motherless void deep, down inside of us. Sure, we had our teams that were like family. She had Team Gai and I had... Now that I thought about it, I only had Tenten and Naruto. I never had a team because the third Hokage kept me as his personal ninja, or so he called me. It was only after his death that Tsunade suggested I go out and do different missions. However, by then, I was already a chuunin. I didn't need a team.

Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice Tenten staring at me, frowning slightly. She coughed and caught all of our attention.

"So... how are you feeling now, Yona-hime?" Tenten asked, walking close enough to her to pat her head. Yona wiped her eyes and her nose before smiling softly.

"I'm fine now. Thank you. Hak," she left his embrace and wore a determined expression. "From now on, I will be as strong as I can be. I may not have been able to do anything then, but I want to be able to do something now. So, Hak, teach me how to be strong."

"Hah?" The man scowled, not long before his mouth grew into a huge grin. "And who are you to tell me what to do, little and innocent Yona?" he teased, grabbing her cheeks while pulling at them.

"Hak, you're gong to stwetch my cheeks out! I'm gong to get stwetch marks! Stawp it!" He continued his torture with a huge smirk on his face. Tenten was smiling softly. Only for a few seconds, though. Her smile soon morphed into an evil grin. It was one of those grins that spelled "danger" in bold, bright letters. Within seconds, she was at my side, clutching onto my shoulder while eye smiling deviously.

One look and I understood.

Hak's eyes were filled with warmth as his eyes were set on Yona. His smile was soft and his hold on her was gentle. Those piercing eyes of his were almost as soft as Hinata's, and that's saying something. It was only around her that he let loose and laughed and smiled genuinely.

And here we were. Spoiling their moment.

"Erm... are you guys okay?" the red head asked, tilting her head slightly in question. _How cute!_ Tenten's face reverted to normal as she scratched her neck sheepishly.

"Of course! Everything's fine! Just continue with what you two were doing!" I answered cheerfully with a smirk on my face. When it came to setting the mood and stuff like that, I was not the person to go to.

"Kira... please stop before you make it any more awkward." The brunette sweatdropped, sighing aloud. It was pretty upsetting. She was getting embarrassed for me.

Hak was not amused.

He patted Yona's head and fetched his sword before walking towards the fire and sitting by it. We all took the hint and sat around it as well, soon falling into peaceful slumbers.

The next day, Hak was still upset. He walked ahead on the dirt path, bearing a sour expression. We followed suit and walked for quite a few hours, taking small breaks every now and then for potty breaks. Every few hours, we'd hide as people passed by. It was annoying, to say the least.

"Agh, enough of this!" is what I wanted to say. Instead, I held my horses and grumbled to myself. "Maybe I can use a genjutsu to hide us, but I can't exactly give ourselves away. I'd rather only let them know my physical abilities. Heck, if anyone found out about our ninjutsu or genjutsu, it'd cause a lot of ruckus and unwanted attention." Another carriage passed by and so we all were forced to jump into the bushes to hide. "Okay... maybe just this once..."

I began the hand seals and paced myself to stand at the back of the group once we continued walking. Tenten looked over her shoulder at me and gaped. She inconspicuously made her way over to me, all the while glaring.

"What are you doing!?" she whispered harshly, staring ahead at Hak and Yona. I explained my intentions to which she grumbled back, "Kira, I understand your reasoning, but c'mon. We're shinobi. You don't know how they'll react if they find out. We can't be irresponsible and do as we please."

"It's not irresponsible if you know what you're doing," I retorted. I was already finished and had casted the genjutsu. Now for someone to get close and activate it. Almost as if hearing my thoughts, a carriage appeared up ahead. I could sense several people behind the cart, perfect candidates for my plan. Rather than hide, Hak chose to simply shade his and Yona's faces with a hat and a cloak. Just as the cart came close by, a gasp escaped Yona's lips, catching the attention of the group of men behind the carriage.

"What're you gasping for, lady?" one of the men asked, scowling at Yona. He, like all the others, was wearing a red cloak and had the appearance of a soldier. Hak's demeanor changed, as if he'd seen a ghost. Just as Hak moved to make a break for it, I crept up on him and grabbed his hand. Before he could protest, the man continued, "You old people better beat it before we change our minds."

And with that, they continued on their path.

I could've sworn someone was playing drums somewhere nearby. However, it was Hak's pulse I was feeling through his hand. He immediately pulled his hand away and grabbed Yona's, walking several feet away from us.

" _What. Was. That?_ " he grinded through his teeth. He was not pleased, that I could tell. _Whelp, I should've listened to Tenten_. "Answer me."

I sighed aloud and looked to Tenten.

"Nuh-uh, don't look to me for help. You brought this on yourself. Well, Kira, c'mon. Answer them." Tenten crossed her arms across her chest and leaned on her hip, urging me on with her eyes. I mouthed some colorful words at her before answering the wary Hak.

"Rather than be mad at me, shouldn't you be grateful they didn't recognize you?" I asked, earning a glare in response. "Right. Anyway, I can't quite disclose too much information so all I'm going to say is that I simply masked our appearance."

"How?" he asked, pushing Yona behind him. The girl mumbled a few words but was immediately silenced by Hak.

"I told you, I can't say any more than that. Please understand." We stared at each other in silence, waiting and contemplating. I sighed for the hundredth time since I'd come here. "I know you don't trust us, so I will do anything to make you trust us. How's that sound?"

Tenten choked on air and coughed for several minutes. Finally, she asked, "D-Does this deal include me too?"

I nodded eagerly in response. She grumbled to herself and faced the two with an irritated expression.

"Alright. Then, if that's the case, give me your weapons."

"Sure can do—"

"Not my babies! I need my weapons! Please, I can't live without them," Tenten pleaded. Her eyes were sparkling, threatening to spill at any moment should she hear a negative answer. Her hands were clasped together in front of her and her mouth was in a pout.

Hak smiled. "No." His face grew solemn as he continued, "That's all the more reason to take them away. Now, hurry up and hand 'em over."

I complied and handed him my pouch with my kunais and shuriken. Tenten handed him hers as well, however reluctantly. She acted as if we were about to slaughter her family before her eyes. Not long after, her eyes were no longer as upset and they had a gleam about them.

"Oh, right. Your scrolls too, Tenten." And her gleam was diminished. She handed him her backpack, considering that was all she had in there—weapons.

With a somewhat eased mind, we continued our journey alongside Hak and Yona. Of course, after that, we had zero incidents and went about our day in peace. Night came upon us and we set up camp deep in the woods. Nothing happened, of course, besides Hak waking up a still half asleep Tenten to goad her with her confiscated weapons.

Let's just say... none of us slept after that.

We continued walking around dawn and continued uneventfully. Every now and then, a person or two would pass by so Hak'd hide Yona in a sack and run his hands all over her. _What a perve._

"Hey, Kira," I nodded at Tenten, a signal for her to continue. "Why didn't you lie to Hak? We're supposed to hide our abilities. We're shinobi. It's a rule that we're supposed to keep our identities and such a secret."

"Well, I originally intended to do just that, but I'm sure he would've been able to see through my lies—"

"Bullshit." Tenten was stern and glared at me. "You're an expert at infiltration and one of your best assets is being able to wear 'masks' efficiently. Tell me, Kira, the real reason."

I sighed. "And yet, none of my masks get by you. Fine. I probably could've and _should've_ lied, but how can I do that to them? I need to build some trust with them if I plan on making up for my... horrible and grave mistake. And lying isn't going to do that. Besides, we need their help since we're fugitives and we don't know this land as good as they do. Because we're travelling with them, we're bound to run into some trouble and eventually, they're going to see who and what we really are. Might as well try getting it over with, little by little."

Tenten frowned, choosing to pat my back in response. She sighed and reassured me that it wasn't my fault that we were in this predicament, not that I'd listen. I chose to ignore her lecture after that.

"Hey, giant. Where are we headed to, anyway?" I asked, putting my hands behind my head like Naruto. It was a bad habit I had picked up from him. He let Yona out of the sack and swiftly ran away from her wrath.

"I didn't plan on telling you since I still don't trust you, but since your friend knows and we're almost there, we're headed for," he pointed out over the trees. Just below the mountain path we were on, there lay a huge little kingdom thing. "...the Wind tribe."

Tenten and I gasped at the view. It was marvelous. _Beautif_ —

My inner monologue was cut off. _This is what I get for letting my guard down_. I felt a body crash into my own before feeling gravity pull me down. The wind flew through my hair as the sight of Yona and Tenten left my eyes, disappearing over the ledge. Now, all I could see was the sky above me and that annoying face of Hak's as my hair whipped in front of me uncontrollably. His face was frantic as Yona's worried screams managed to reach his ears.

 _Dear Kami. I don't know how to land from this high up. I'm not a cat. And below us there's only dirt. If we land, there's no telling if we'll live_. My eyes darted around, scanning the land as I frantically calculated and analyzed the situation. _There's a few trees over there though. That can help soften the blow. But that's too far for both of us to reach._

 _But maybe..._

I thought back to the small redhead, waiting at the top of the mountain, screaming scared beyond her wits for Hak. Yona had lost her family because of me. I had failed to protect her father and now she was all alone in the world. All she had was Hak. If I were to take that away from her... I'd never forgive myself. She'd end up like me if I didn't do anything. I had to do something. I _would_ do something.

 _Sorry, Tenten._

I mustered up my chakra in both hands and pushed Hak away. The look on his face was priceless! _Haha... ha_.

"What're you doing!?" He flew far enough towards the trees where he'd ( _hopefully_ ) land safely.

He looked at me with wide eyes, shouting incoherent words at me. I sighed. _Good luck, sir._

"Take care of Yona and Tenten for me, will ya?" I smiled.

Soon, all he could see was the soothing color of the trees.


	4. Tell the Truth

**I'm so grateful to my first reviewer, Eyriegirl1345! Just that one small review of encouragement made me so happy. Also, thanks to VeeVenea for favoriting. Enjoy the chapter!**

xoXoXox

"Hak!" Yona shouted. She quickly turned to the brunette and clung onto her shoulder desperately. "Tenten, please do something!"

"I need my weapons but he has them," she answered, keeping her eyes on the ever-shrinking bodies of the two. They were quickly approaching the ground and Kira didn't seem to be trying anything. She exhaled slowly. "I hope I make it in time. Yona, grab on!"

"Wha—AAAH!" Although it felt amazing to have the wind flow through her red locks, she was still scared out of her mind. Yona could've sworn she had asked Tenten to save Hak, not kill them all! "What're you doing!? Are you crazy!?"

"Yona, I need you to trust me. I'm going to let go of you and you're going to land in the trees. It's going to hurt but I need you to do this."

"That's insane—!"

"Ready, set, GO!" With a screech, the princess flew down into the brushery, crashing into a few branches along the way where she was lastly caught by Hak.

Tenten quickly kicked herself off the cliff wall and dove for her best friend who was close to hitting the ground.

"Not on my watch!" She grabbed Kira's arm and twisted her upward so that Kira flew above her, away from the ground. "See? Told ya—OH MY GOSH!"

Kira's head was spurting blood everywhere as she had been hit by a branch. Hard. Without noticing, Tenten had swung her friend into a sturdy branch with full force while trying to save her. The brunette carefully scanned her friend's face, placing her softly onto the ground.

"Kira! Wake up! Oh my gosh, she's bleeding. I cracked her skull. Wow. What am I going to do? I don't know how to heal these kinds of wounds... Hak!" Said man came from behind a few trees, carrying a scratched up Yona in his arms. He looked pretty upset, however that was the least of Tenten's concern. "Please lead us to the Wind Tribe quickly. Kira needs help. She's hurt."

He was silent as his eyes lingered over the black haired female who laid unconsciously on the ground. Yona gasped and pulled at Hak's sleeve, scolding him with her gaze. She didn't have to tell him. He knew what had to be done.

He put Yona down before ripping off a piece of cloth from the bottom hem of his robe. He wrapped the cloth around the unconscious woman's head before lifting her into his arms.

"Follow me and be quiet!" he barked before sprinting down the dirt path with Tenten and Yona not far behind. He was very fast, considering he didn't have full use of his chakra, Tenten noticed. Perhaps she could show—

...No. What was she thinking? A shinobi such as herself shouldn't have even reached such a thought. Helping others was fine, but to flaunt her abilities like so was unbecoming of a kunoichi such as herself. She shook her head, focusing on the task at hand. She was currently pulling Yona by the hand as she was gradually slowing down. Wasn't long before Tenten hurled the girl over her back and was soon side by side with Hak. The poor guy didn't know what to think. Either he was getting weaker or the woman beside him was a she-beast.

He went with the latter, not that he'd ever tell her.

"Oi! You two, get a medic ready!" Hak shouted as they came into view of the Wind Tribe's entrance. The two men at guard, one blonde and the other brown haired, spun their heads around swiftly at Hak's call.

"Hak-sama! You've returned! And with women!" the blonde shouted merrily.

"I'm on it!" the other shouted, sprinting off towards one of the many homes from beyond. As he located the medic, Hak and the others followed behind, leaving a trail of confused onlookers.

The blonde one, known as Han-Dae, called them back and shoved them all inside one house, ordering them to wait. Mere moments later, the brown haired one, Tae-Woo, burst in with a young lady who carried a basket full of materials. The group was ushered out by the young medic who quickly got to work.

From behind the door, Tenten awaited impatiently. "I wonder if she's going to be fine. I'm sure she is, but ugh! It's my fault she's even in this situation. I need to get it together! I am a kunoi—I mean a strong woman and I shouldn't be making mistakes like th—"

"Would you shut it already?" Hak grumbled, just about ready to lunge at her. She glared at him in response before frowning. She knew he had a point. Blabbering her life away wasn't going to do anything to make Kira better. It could release her stress, however.

"That's no way to talk to a lady, Hak!" Han-Dae jabbed, smirking at the glare Hak sent his way.

"Yeah, and a pretty one, no less!" Tae-Woo added, bowing before Tenten. The woman of topic quirked one dainty eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "What is your name, milady?" he asked as he grabbed her hand, aiming for a kiss.

She reflexively pulled her hand away and answered uncomfortably, "It's Tenten. And please explain to me what you're doing. I know you're playing around and all, but please, not right now."

The duo glanced at each other before apologizing. Tenten smiled apologetically. She couldn't blame them for trying to lighten up the mood. Nobody liked sadness. Especially Lee. Her lively green teammate would've done the same and she would've been able to tolerate it. However, this time she couldn't. Not when all she had been doing on this mission was setting them off course.

Yona patted the brunette on the head. She curiously looked up at the redhead who offered a smile.

"My tou-san used to always do this whenever I was upset," she explained. Hak's eyes widened. His head flickered to Yona, the small helpless Yona, who, at the moment, looked so mature. She was finally taking those small baby steps towards independence, and he wasn't sure of whether to be proud or scared.

"Um, you're all waiting for your friend, right?" the medic called from the door. Tenten didn't waste time. She was past the lady and in the room before anyone could even register what had been asked. With the medic's approval, they entered the room. "When did she...? Nevermind. Well, you're friend is actually fine. It was actually a minor wound. She simply fainted of over-exhaustion. Funny, though, she seems to be very healthy. Don't see how she could be so exhausted."

"So she's fine? No major wounds? No excess blood loss?" Hak asked, just about ready to flip. It made no sense if the rescuees were more damaged the rescuer. Yona and Hak had taken quite a beating from the onslaught of branches during their fall.

"Yes, she's completely fine. Just completely tired." Tenten sighed in relief at the news while Hak smacked his forehead. Han-Dae glanced at Tae-Won who shrugged in response.

After that, the nurse did a quick checkup on the princess and her loyal protector before giving them a last diagnosis. None of them were allowed to do any excessive work. As she exited the room, Yona decided to voice the question looming in her mind.

"Hey, Tenten, why didn't you ask for a checkup? You must've been injured when you dove for Kira-san."

"She _what?_ " Hak asked, quickly looking over to Tenten for an explanation. She cursed under her breath. How stupid could she be? Using her chakra in front of someone, moreover someone whose trust she was trying to gain.

"Listen, guys, all I did was dive for her. Plain and simple."

"We all fell off of the same cliff from the same distance. That doesn't explain how you and your friend are perfectly fine."

"My friend and I aren't perfectly fine. As you can see—"

"Cut the crap!" His sudden raise of voice resonated through the rather vacant room. Tenten was surprised to say the least. He was always so composed. "You've been hiding something from us from the very start. Whispering behind my back, dodging my questions—just what are trying to do?"

"You're ninjas, right?"

Hak scoffed.

"As if they could be. Those types of things are simply old fairytales. There's no way..." He paused. His eyes gradually widened as he recollected the events. He thought, "If that's true, then that would explain their weird abilities to change our appearances, or so they said. Moreover, that would explain their immense strength and stamina."

"I heard someone say it once. I'm not lying! When chichi-hue was killed, a-a man disguised as Tenten-san stabbed Kira-san. I... I was too weak to do anything but stare. That's when... when Soo-Won told the guy to take me away. He... I remember him calling the imposter guy 'ninja'. Tenten, please tell us the truth. Are you like them?"

"Hold on. Wait. You knew all this this whole time and didn't tell me?" Hak asked, walking up to Yona. She appeared almost frightened, but not quite.

"I-I didn't think much of it then—"

"Why didn't you tell me!? This whole time, you kept this information from me and didn't think once to tell me or confide in me!?"

"Hak—"

"And you!" He turned to Tenten. "Answer us honestly this time. Are you or are you not like them!?" He began to get dangerously close the the bun-haired female who slowly began walking backwards. Seeing where this was going, the two men who had been standing aside quietly rushed to Hak and held him back. Regaining his senses, he shrugged them off and ran one hand through his hair. "Just answer the question!"

"No, we're not like them—"

"But we are ninjas, however."

All heads turned to the black haired female who was sitting straight up in bed, yawning with not a single worry in the world. "Could you all just make up or make out or whatever and get rid of all this tension? Geez. This wasn't how I planned on being greeted after—"

"Kira!" Tenten crushed the female into her chest, snuggling her head as the rest watched with soft smiles on their faces. All but Hak, that is.

"So you're both ninjas?" Hak asked, the irritation clear on his face.

"No—"

"Yes! Don't believe Tenten. She's too uptight with rules and such," Kira answered, snickering at Tenten's astonished look. Hak was not amused.

"If that's so, why did you allow Yona to plummet to the ground? She could've gotten seriously hurt."

"Hak, it's fine—"

"No! It's not fine! Your father entrusted you to me and I plan on keeping my word! Now, _you_!" Once more, he fixed his angry gaze on Tenten. "You're a ninja, right!? Why didn't you take Yona down to safety!? Your friend was perfectly capable of saving herself, being a ninja and all!"

"Are you stupid or something!? I had to save Kira or else she would've died! What I did was dangerous, so I can see why you're upset, but—"

"The only reason I allowed you to travel with us was because you said you'd help protect Yona-hime! Your first priority should've been her and you threw her several hundred feet to the ground to save someone who was capable!"

"Don't you get it!? The only reason you're alive is because—"

" _Tenten_!" The bun-haired female stopped and stood down. Kira sighed aloud, something she tended to do often, and pulled off the bandages wrapped around her head. Before Tenten could protest, Kira glared at her before continuing. "Hak, I'm sorry for what we have caused. Initially, I had planned on being the only one to get seriously hurt but my teammate here had to go and ruin my plans. While it is perfectly rational to be upset, please do not take it out on Tenten. She's a dork that's driven to move on emotion. I should've been more careful with my calculations."

As Hak got ready to scold them some more, Yona grabbed his sleeve and glared at him when he tried to shake her off. Hak immediately froze at the coldness she directed at him. Han-Dae and Tae-Won, having started towards Hak, froze at seeing the animosity in her eyes.

"Hak, I am disappointed in you." She let go of his sleeve and walked towards Kira, offering an apology. She then turned back towards Hak, glare back in place. "Hak, rather than yell at them, you should be thanking them. It's thanks to them that I still have you."

His eyes widened. She was no longer glaring, rather... she was crying.

"When I pushed you and Kira-san off the cliff by accident, I felt my whole world turn upside down. First, I'd lost my father and then to lose you because of something I did... I wasn't sure what to do. You two were approaching the ground so fast and then I saw Kira-san push you towards safety." She hiccuped and wiped her eyes. "Kira sacrificed herself to save you and to see you yell at her and blame her and Tenten for my mistake... it makes me feel disgusted about myself."

The room was silent. Yona's soft sobs were barely audible as Hak engulfed her small body into his own.

"There's no reason for you to be disgusted of yourself. Rather, it should be me." After she had finished weeping, Hak turned to the two women on the bed. He bowed. "Please forgive me—"

"Whoopty-fucking-do, you're forgiven. There. It's over, it's done. Now can we all just stop being assholes and start trying to trust each other?" Kira proposed, picking at the dry blood on her head.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. By the way, why'd you take off your bandage?" Hak asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Hm? Oh, right. Forgot I did that. Well, I took it off so that I could show it to you and guilt-trip you into forgiving me and Tenten, but obviously Yona-hime did _way_ better than I'd ever hoped to, so yeah." She plucked another scab off and flicked it away, earning a smack to the head from Tenten.

"Well, considering we're all tired from the long trip, near-death experience, and harsh argument, how about we all hit the sack?" Tenten asked, smiling enthusiastically. With a chorus of hums in agreement, they all exited the room one by one, chatting away with each other.

"Oi, Kira?"

"Yeah?" she answered, fluffing her pillow as Hak stood by the door.

"...Thank you."

"...Can you repeat that again? I could barely hear you."

He growled. "I'm not repeating it again!"

She laughed aloud and sat straight up, hugging her pillow tightly. He smirked back and threw an apple her way. Of course, she caught it.

"Seriously, though... Thank you."

Her eyes widened a fraction at the honesty he displayed to her. Already their trust was building. Or so that's how she interpreted it. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Hehe, no problem!"

"...Right... Anyway, goodnight."

"Night!" she called back before taking a bite from her apple. She sighed. Again.

"When will be the right time to tell them, I wonder?"

xoXoXox

 **As you can see, I did not use Kira's POV for this chapter because I wanted to experiment. I'm actually liking this better, so from here on out, I'm using Third Person POV. Just wanna make sure I don't confuse anyone.**

 **On another note, yay! They're finally being honest! Let's see where this takes them, next time in Dawn and Dusk. Yayz.**

 **Please review!**


End file.
